Mechanism for propelling vessels



May 15, 1923.

- E. G. DARY ET AL MECHANISM FOR PROPELLING VESSELS Filed March 31 1922 3-Sheets-Sheet l May 15, 1923. 1,455,716

E. G. DARY ET AL MECHANISM PTOR PROPELLING VESSELS Filed March 31 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 15, 1923. 1,455,716

E. G. DARY ET AL MECHANISM FOR PROPELLING VESSELS Filed March 31 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 E monl'od E 3 9 5 4 i I a I I IIIIIII)III/IIIIIIIIIIII.;

ST l

ELMER GEO. DABY AND ARTHUR PHINEAS CLUTE, OIE QUINCY, ILLINOIS.

MECHANISM FOR PROBELLING VESSELS.

Application filed March 31, 1922. Serial No. 548,456.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ELMER G. DARY and ARTHUR P. CLUTE, citizens of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Adams and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mechanism for Propelling Vessels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mechanism for propelling vessels, and the object is to provide an endless travelling element on each side of the vessel, said element including buckets or other propelling means and being so mounted that the draft required will not 1 exceed that required for the vessel itself, as distinguished from those types of side wheel and stern propelled vessels requiring a much greater draft, by reason of the propelling mechanism than is required for the vessel alone.

A further object is to provide propelling mechanism adapted to be constructed in units, each unit being separately mounted and'separately driven, so that in the event of temporary repairs being required, one or more units may be raised from the water and the necessary repairs effected, while the vessel is still proceeding on its course under the power derived from the remaining propelling units.

A still further object is to provide a ship,

boat, or barge with an endless propelling device or devices which shall be mounted in frames movable bodily in a vertical direction, and to provide an adjustable drive between the wheels mounting the endless device and the power shaft and chain belt.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of-elements described and claimed, it being understood that modifications may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of invention.

In the drawings, Figure anism in side elevation;

Figure 2 is an end elevation;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section of one of the vertical guides and theelementmovable herein;

1 shows the mech- Figure 4c is a similar view of a shaft guiding element;

Figure 5 is a plan view of a portion ofthe propelling chain;

Figure 6 is a vertical section of one of the propelling elementsor links of'the propellingchain; k I a Figure 7 shows a modified drive employing an electric motor 61 for driving the shaft 60.

In carrying out the invention, we provide for each unit, a pair of vertical guides 10 and 12 and secure them in any suitable manner to the sides of the vessel. These guides may be of channel iron or steel, and cooperating therewith are'the slidable elements or blocks 13 and 14 mounted respectively in the end portions of the longitudinal element 15. This element last named is also of channel iron or steel, the flanges being outwardly turned, and a timber 16 being bolted therebetween.

. Channels 17 and 18 are also secured in vertical position on the sides of the vessel and within the guides formed by the channels, we provide for mounting the frames 19 and 20 in which the wheels 21 and 22 for the endless propelling device 23 are mounted. The shoes 24 and 25 serve to directly co-, operate with guides 17 and 18, and it should be stated that these guides, and guides 10 and 12 have their flanges inwardly turned at their outer edges.

i The frames 19 and 20 include upper transverse members, such as 25, and vertically extending elements 26 mounting pulley blocks 27. A cable 28 passes around this pulley and also around a pulley 29 suspended from an outwardly extending arm 30,

suitably mounted on the sides of the vessel. This arrangement permits of the elevation of the frames mounting the endless devices. In the case of small vessels, only one endless device 23 may he needed on each side,

but several independent propelling units may be employed for vessels of greater size.

The endless propelling device 23 includes individual propelling devices or members, which may be termed buckets'or paddles. The devices are of sheet steel, are wedge Wheel 45 and main chain 'b'elt by, short bars or links 35.

shaped in cross section and include side porlast named are provided with which the transverse rods or On opposite ends of; shafts 3,7 *are Wheels,

such as at38, for cooperation with the 41, supported by channeled guides 40 and the frames 19 and 20. These frames being vertically movable, the entire propelling units including the endless device 23 moves vertically at one side, The Wedge shaped propelling devices may be termed links of a chainpropeller; I

Ahfiain drive shaft 44 carries a double sprocket heel .45, one element of which drives a "main'chain belt 46 impartinginovemerit to a double sprocket Wheel 47L The shoes" 24,25, previously referredto, 'ma'y'be mounted-directly on shafts 4 and 49, these shaftsmmlnting Wheels 121: andr22, and'r'igidjivith reference to these Wheels and shafts 'just named are sprocket Wheels 51 and 52 through hichthe endless propelling device'f23 is driven, it being understood that the drive is primarily through Wheel 21. Sprocket Wheel 51'isd1ive11 by chain53 passing around the double sprocket Wheel 54 jnounted as shown. One element of this sprocket Wheelis driven by chain 55, Which in turn isdriven from one element of double sprocket Wheel 45.

v Chain 5,5- also passes around the sprocket Wheels 56 and 57 mounted on a spreading device 58, comprising a plurality of pivoted elements 59, adaptedto automatically take upthe slack in chain due-tothe difference in the distance between the axesf of sprocket Wheels 44 and 54,: at different times, depending upon the position or; elevation of the endless device 23. A similar arrangement is provided in connec.-,

tion With the drive for sprocket-Wheel 52,

and Wheel 22. driven-from the r'notor, but from the main chain belt 46;.-

I n'the' form shown in Figure7, the chain tightening device including elements and omitted, and shaft 60 the sprocket Wheels carried thereby are mounting sprocket niheel 54", is driven directly e510 motor 61 mountedon one of'the vertica'l'lyfmovable frames; The drive to, the other side 1? the endless propelling device is then through sprocket chain 55', sprocket,

46. On certain classesfofvessels, no provision need be made for elevating the endless device .23, thus" simplifying the the invention, What shafts 37 pass.

Wheel 47 is not however from an eleC-i constructionto a con! siderable; degree.

I endless propelling elemenh means; including,

a plurality of vertically movable frames for 1 mounting-the propelling element at the side of a vessel, and means for imparting move-' ment to the 'en dless'element, said means last named including a plurality of pairs of,

ro ke ee s' ne fth he'elsot ea h. pair being movable toward and away e other W e l f lia pa a ehei s necting the Wheels of correspondin p I a ic "0f th es-des ibe nv endless propelling element, an endless drive chain mounted adj aeent thereto, mean f fpf mounting the element the side ofia ve sel d P i g "v ica eove eeet. and means providing a continuous drive for-Lthe endless element "from said drive chaimfin dependent of the elevation of the endl s element, said means last vnamedi including h ns an le for th chan in id rs, b 'm 'a l bv id a d away' r' m with h?? c V I -7 1 a devi e ft e' la desc ib d pl ral y of tical gu d inou itecllat' he side of a vessel, frames movable in said guides, an endless propelling element, Wheels mounted in the franie's, aln'dvmounting, the ndl ss e eme t and mean for, han. Wheels, additional vertical guidespshaifts -e2;,- t d n ransre selv. q itheen l sle and shoe arr by h shafts n n tahle n eer i lgui e emmed[ I 11' 10 5. In a, device of class described,

side of a vessel, frames movable in, said guides anend ss nr pe l-i eiel m tWhe mounted, in lthejfra nes, and mounting the, endless, element and means for, driving the he l isaidrdr ving mean na uding a i iain drive 'chain and supplementarydriue chaiiis, means fpr automatic ally tensi the ai s a n med. nds from the inain chain v 1,1 a, dev s o he clas le qni c ia plurality I of vertical guides *mquntegi' at the Side. Of a rsl, t' me nev blef a guides, endless propjelli u g element, Wheels mountedin the frames, andfmounting the endless element, and means Ldrivi the Wheelgsliafts for mounting the Wheels; and shoes carried by the shafts, a t-seeps ing with some of guides] g f n er levi l f the. c assdescr b d" rali y" ii-ver i al gui esjniou im 1 of a vessel,- frames movable iii sa Ming aim an endless propelling element, Wheels mount- Wheels first named from said additional 10 ed in the frames, and mounting the endless sprocket Wheels.

element, and means for driving the Wheels, In testimony whereof We affix our signasaid driving means including a main drive tures. chain, sprocket Wheels mounting said chain, supplementary chains and additional sprocket CLUTE Wheels driven thereby, adjustable tightening means associated With the supplementary Witness: chain, and means imparting motion to the A. C. HECKLE. 

